Satisfying taste buds
Traditional food street in the walled city 
Amritsar, December 7
Even as the district administration has failed to deliver on its promise of setting up a food street, a traditional food street located in the labyrinth of roads in the walled city has been taking care of gourmets’ wishes. Ready to serve meals with authentic Punjabi cuisine in general and Amritsar in particular is being served at Telephone Exchange Chowk.

Young World
Tiny help to Pakistan
Amritsar, December 7
With a view to alleviate pain of victims of floods that ravaged parts of Pakistan, the students of Class I and II of Spring Blossoms Senior School extended their support by collecting financial aid for them.

GShreya during her performance in Super Dancer Session-8 in Amritsar. A Tribune photo A student of Shri Ram Ashram School dressed as Lord Krishna performs during the annual school function in Amritsar. Photo: Vishal KumarF

68-year-old donates body for research
Amritsar, December 7
Sixty-eight-year-old Harbans Lal has donated his body to Government Medical College for research and education activities. “Serving society in a way or other would ultimately provide you ‘mukti’ and I believe by just consigning the body to the flames won’t serve any purpose in attaining mukti.

Harbans Lal

‘Bharat Jyoti’ award for GND varsity scientist
Amritsar, December 7
Prof Surinder Singh, a scientist in the field of environmental, nuclear and material sciences, has been awarded with the “Bharat Jyoti” award by the India International Friendship Society (IIFS) at New Delhi for his work in the field of sciences, particularly in environment research, geo-sciences and uranium-related health risk studies leading to cancer in south and west areas of the Malwa region of Punjab.

1,700 breeds of cattle feature at animal fair 
Amritsar, December 7
Animals of around 1,700 breeds were brought to be part of an animal fair being organised at Vallah village here today. Punjab Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike inaugurated the fair which witnessed cattle of various breeds from Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala. The minister emphasised that efforts were on to revamp the department of animal husbandry and the vacant seats of veterinary doctor, verterinary inspector and feed and fodder departments would be filled soon.

Seminar on Guru Ravidas bani on Dec 10
Amritsar, December 7
Guru Nanak Dev University would organise a seminar on Guru Ravidas bani on December 10 on the university campus. The seminar would be organised by Guru Ravidas Chair of the university.

Geriatric clinic starts at GNDH
Amritsar, December 7
With an aim to provide quality treatment in age related problems, a geriatric clinic was opened at OPD unit of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here today.

Tribune Adalat

Amritsar, December 7
Even as the recent spurt of multiplexes, malls and international food chains in Amritsar has contributed tons of profits through their ‘value added services’ like food courts, game-zones, multi-screen movie shows, yet the indispensable need of providing free drinking water is being overlooked with impunity.

Cocking a snook at the statutory provision for providing safe drinking water for free, as per government norms, barring a few exceptions, these food joints and multiplexes have exclusively been selling only packaged drinking water, that too at ‘premium’ rates, almost double those of the market price.

Krishan Kumar, an employee with a government department, visited one such mall this evening, along with his wife and two kids. He ordered a full meal for himself and his family for Rs 480, but before that, he had to take a medicine pill of his and needed water.

“When I asked the attendant at the food joint for water, he offered to sell me a plastic bottle for Rs 25. I refused to take one. Meanwhile, I decided to look for a water storage cooler that would offer me free water, but in vain. The security guards told me that only paid water would be available in the Food Court wing and ultimately, I had to. I do not mind paying the food cost but the water charges really pinched me,” he rued.

Like him, similar problems pinch every man who pays a visit to these malls or food joints.

Keeping in mind the fact that the percentage of people who prefer bottled water is scant, it apparently becomes the liability of the managements to provide tapped drinking water or water storage coolers on every floor, the visitors viewed.

While aping western culture with the coming up of such lavish malls and food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds or food courts in malls, the ‘Guru ki Nagri’, which promotes such basic values as ‘simran’ (prayer), ‘sewa’ (service), langar (meals), sangat and pangat (devotees), has been losing its sheen.

The Tribune team made a random round of these multiplexes and some of the food joint chains to check out the availability of free and safe drinking water.

Most of the joints had a habit of not serving free water. The customers either have to buy a cold drink or bottled mineral water. The customers feel all this is just trade tactics to grab more money.

People generally opine that ‘self service’ in food joints, was acceptable according to western culture, but at least an option should always be there to choose between packaged drinking water or the one from the water cooler or dispenser, free of charge.

Baljeet K Johal, a frequent visitor to these places, said even if it was a western trend of serving food, exceptions can still be made. “Otherwise also, it is our Indian custom to ask for water first, the moment someone visits us, either at home or in the office. These are our traditional values. If you visit some Indian hotels in Singapore like, Saravana Bhavan or Anna Lakshmi, they do not charge for drinking water in Singapore or in India or in any other place in the world where they have branches. They do give us a choice of drinking this water or the bottled water, which comes for a price”, she told.

Amritsar, December 7
A large number of farmers and various employees union today gheraoed the Rajasansi police station in protest against police inaction in registering a criminal case in connection with death of retired teacher Amrik Kaur.

The dharna was lifted only after registration of murder case against the daughter-in-law of the deceased.

The agitating leaders of different organisations threatened to intensify their agitation if the police failed to arrest the accused involved in the killing of the teacher by December 10.

Amrik Kaur was allegedly poisoned to death.

Sucha Singh Ajnala, co-convener of Punjab Kisan Sabha talking to media, alleged that Amrik Kaur was killed in the intervening night of September 1-2. The report of the post-mortem examination of the deceased confirmed that she was poisoned to death.

However, the police neither registered a case against the accused nor they initiated any action in this regard. He alleged that senior police officials were sheltering the culprits who along with several unidentified persons committed the crime.

The police authorities said the case had already been registered in this regard and investigations were under progress as the post-mortem report was awaited.

The accused daughter in law who is identified as Amanpreet Kaur is at large. 

Amritsar, December 7
The Khasa and old Cantonment Army wing, several NGOs and individuals have joined hands in collaboration with the district administration to start Green Amritsar Campaign 2010 under which at least 1.76 lakh saplings of various types would be planted in the military area, Khasa.

The city’s greenbelt stands at just four per cent whereas it required at least 16 per cent green area, which act as lungs for keeping city environ healthy.

Come December 10, this ‘Operation Green Group’ would observe 15th Infantry Day in Khasa belt where the contributors would be honoured by the administration.

At least 64 varieties of saplings, including alsestonica, arjun, ambultas, amla, amb (desi tapka), ashoka, behra, bamboo, beri, bruma drek, il, chakrasia, causa rina, chandni, drek, eucliptus, falsa, gulchinia, gulmohar, hamelia, harshingar, imli, jand, jatoopha, keekar, kaner, lasura, neem, pilkan, poplar, papal, palms, reetha, sheesham, saroo, sukhchan, tun and willow, would be planted.

It was for the first time that such varieties of saplings are being planted.

From the Army side, it was Major General Varinder Kumar, GOC Panther Division, along with Commander RC Diwedi and Col Abhishek Agnihotri had endeavoured to provide the infrastructure which included petrol, oil or lubricants for the machinery required to plant and upkeep of plants.

The civilian effort is also appreciable. Over 33,500 saplings were donated by people belonging to various quarters and an approximate amount of Rs 6.5 lakh was contributed to arrange these plants. Parkash Singh Bhatti, himself an ex-serviceman and president of Pollution Control Committee, Amritsar, and his family contributed 15,500 plants of different varieties in the campaign. To strengthen it further, the infrastructure like two tractors with driver and around 10 workers were provided by Surbhi Verma and her family.

PS Bhatti said their objective was to awaken the general masses about eco-friendly atmosphere. 

Amritsar, December 7
Even as the district administration has failed to deliver on its promise of setting up a food street, a traditional food street located in the labyrinth of roads in the walled city has been taking care of gourmets’ wishes.

Ready to serve meals with authentic Punjabi cuisine in general and Amritsar in particular is being served at Telephone Exchange Chowk.

All rehris are doing brisk business. They dish out crispy hot aloo kulcha, puris and ‘lassi’ (butter milk) as early as 8 in the morning and many rehris wind up their operations by 11 am.

In these high inflationary times, one can have his breakfast and a little portion of sweet karah for Rs 10 with a piece of puri costing Rs 4. These cooks armed with equally business acumen do not mind in handing out a little quantity of karah instead of returning the balance.

After founding the city, Guru Ramdas brought traders and artisans to inhabit the area around the Golden Temple. It led to the growth of many wholesale markets, including of shawls, suiting-shirting, embroidery, dupattas, and gold jewelry outlets around the Harmander Sahib.

Hence, the “food street” is as old as these markets. Development of food joints, to cater to all sections of trading, business community and workforce, was inherent response.

These mobile eating joints offering delicacies could be spotted at many areas of the walled city but rehris parked at a place is only found here.

About 30 rehris are dishing out vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. These ‘mobile shops’ offer spicy nutri kulcha, pulao, paneer bhurji, chhole bhature and many varieties of chicken and mutton.

However, neither the district administration nor the civic authorities endeavoured to give a facelift to the intersection and provide hygienic ambience. Though, they always insisted on setting up a new one, which is yet to see the light of the day.

When the opinion was shared with Deputy Commissioner K.S Pannu, he said the administration would ponder over the concept of refurbishing telephone exchange area. He said the proposal for establishing a food street has not been dropped and added that the search for an ideal location was underway.

Earlier, the food street was to be established inside historic Ram Bagh, which houses Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s summer palace. However, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had rejected the proposal since the area was notified.

Amritsar, December 7
With a view to alleviate pain of victims of floods that ravaged parts of Pakistan, the students of Class I and II of Spring Blossoms Senior School extended their support by collecting financial aid for them.

A cheque worth Rs 23,000, collected voluntarily by the students, was handed over in this connection by S S Sandhu, Chairman, Spring Dale Educational Society, to Ramesh Yadav, of Hind Pak Dosti Manch.

Amritsar, December 7
Sixty-eight-year-old Harbans Lal has donated his body to Government Medical College for research and education activities.

“Serving society in a way or other would ultimately provide you ‘mukti’ and I believe by just consigning the body to the flames won’t serve any purpose in attaining mukti. Instead, we should stress on living or dying for a humane cause,” said Harbans Lal, a resident of New Pawan Nagar area situated on Batala Road.

“This is the need of the hour that persons should donate their bodies for medical research so that medical students are better equipped to fight and treat deadly diseases by understanding the anatomy of the human body in a better way,” he pointed out.

“This is my way of serving humanity, while my family fully supported for this cause,” said Harbans Lal. He has four children who are well settled in their lives. He said it was only due to the support of his wife and family members that he could take the decision of donating the body. He said more and more people should donate their bodies for research purposes.

Amritsar, December 7
Prof Surinder Singh, a scientist in the field of environmental, nuclear and material sciences, has been awarded with the “Bharat Jyoti” award by the India International Friendship Society (IIFS) at New Delhi for his work in the field of sciences, particularly in environment research, geo-sciences and uranium-related health risk studies leading to cancer in south and west areas of the Malwa region of Punjab.

Prof Singh is a senior professor in the department of physics and presently is the Dean, Academic Affairs, Guru Nanak Dev University.

The IIFS, a non-governmental society, is among India’s leading voluntary organisations with nationally and internationally useful socio-economic existence and is also a champion in the vital area of forging friendships among the individuals, corporates, regions, religions and nations.

Among the some renowned past recipients of this award are Mother Teresa, former Vice-President of India B.D. Jatti, former Supreme Court Chief Justice P.N. Bhagwati, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and hockey Olympian Dhanraj Pillay.

Amritsar, December 7
Animals of around 1,700 breeds were brought to be part of an animal fair being organised at Vallah village here today.

Punjab Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike inaugurated the fair which witnessed cattle of various breeds from Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala. The minister emphasised that efforts were on to revamp the department of animal husbandry and the vacant seats of veterinary doctor, verterinary inspector and feed and fodder departments would be filled soon.

The minister said to improve specially bred cattle, semen from abroad would be imported and funds to the tune of crores would be spent for the purpose. This animal fair would continue till December 9.

The others present on the occasion included animal husbandry wing director Dr S.S. Sandha, nodal officer Dr Bhawan Kumar Gandhi and Dr Parampal Singh. — TNS

If you have a grievance against a public utility, or if you have a complaint about any dealing with a public servant, in a government office, bank, finance company, post office, insurance company, in a train or at a bus stand… or if your grievance has not been attended to, send an e-mail (not more than 200 words) to jalandhar@tribunemail.com or jalandhartribune@yahoo.com, or post the complaint to News Editor, Amritsar Plus (Tribune Adalat), The Tribune, SCO 20, Ladowali Road, Jalandhar. Complaints against individuals will not be entertained. Your complaint is our concern and The Tribune offers to suitably highlight it.